1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to telephone systems, and more particularly to telephone systems with monitoring and control functions.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
The telephone is one sign of modem life. Since its invention, the telephone has seen a remarkable expansion in both usage and functionality. Today, the telephone is a necessity for every business and the majority of homes. The basic idea of a telephone system is simple. Changes in air pressure, or sound waves, are converted to electrical signals by a microphone. The electrical signals are transmitted via a communication path to a receiver. The receiver converts the transmitted signals back to sound.
Telephone systems have continuously become more complex due to the utilization of different technologies. These technologies have substantially increased the telephone systems usage and functionality. Loudspeakers have been added to provide hands free functions. Wireless technologies have been employed to provide wireless functions. Memories and processors have been used to provide many functions, such as speed dial, answering services, routing functions, and access control functions, among others. Many modem telephone systems employ some software programming and hardware adjustments to provide control functions and automation, such as operating lights, appliances, thermostats, motorized drapes, phones, and other devices.
Within home or office environments, the integration of wireless technologies into telephone systems has provided the cordless telephone. In the latter, a handset of the telephone system is remotely coupled to a base without using a cord. Communication is established between the base and the handset by transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves. Since the frequency range of the human sound is relatively low, a carrier wave of a much higher frequency is modulated (based on the sound of the user) and transmitted by a transmitter to a receiver. The received modulated wave is decoded and the information carried by the wave is extracted. Cordless telephone systems may use a range of frequency to facilitate the communication between the base and the handset. Cordless telephones are designed for use within the boundaries of a building. The energy associated with the communication signal, between the base and the handset, allows the signal to propagate only for a limited distance.
As the development of telephone systems continues, many services associated with telephones are made available almost on everyday. With the vast increase in services that are available just by dialing phone numbers, a concern may arise about the time that is spent by an individual using the telephone. Concerns may also arise about the nature of a call that is placed by the individual, the type of the service that the individual is using, and the cost associated with the usage of the telephone. Unfortunately, some of the services that are easily available through the phone may not be appropriate for some users. For example, many of today services that utilize the 900 dialing structure may not be appropriate for young users. Some of these services are directed toward specific groups of the population, such as teenagers. Not only is using some of these services inappropriate, but also their usage may also result in costly telephone bills. Furthermore, parents may prefer that their children spend no time on the telephone (for some destinations) or a limited time while they talk with their friends. Children may neglect to manage their time properly and they may spend more time on the telephone than on other activities, such as doing their homework. Therefore, telephone systems that enable control, such as parental control, over their usage are desirable. Furthermore, telephone systems that enable metering their usage are also desirable.